Up to yesterday, 14 countries and international organizations have officially confirmed their participation in the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, declared Yang Xiong, member of Shanghai Expo Organizing Committee, Deputy Director of Shanghai Expo Executive Committee, and Vice Mayor of Shanghai, at the press conference by the Sate Council in Beijing.

They are France, Ukraine, Bahrain, Mali, Cambodia, Canada, Mauritania, Algeria, Congo, Hungary, Switzerland, New Zealand, Cuba and the Secretariat of Convention on Biological Diversity.

It is China’s first official announcement on the countries and international organizations that have confirm their exhibition participation in the Expo 2010, Yang added.

Besides the 14 confirmed participators, many other are contacting the Executive Committee actively, and some of them have appointed the General Commissioner to the Expo for preliminary consultation, said Yang.

To host a successful, splendid and unforgettable World Expo is not only a solemn oath promised by the Chinese Government to the international community but also a key work plan to be fulfilled by the host Shanghai in the next five years.

According to Yang, preparation work has started up in full scale with the concerted effort by all the Shanghai residents since the success in the bid on December 3, 2002, under the leadership of the Chinese Central Government and the Shanghai Expo Organizing Committee headed by Vice Premier Wu Yi.

The international community responded positively to the official exhibition invitation to Shanghai Expo signed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on March 22, 2006.

The Sate Council held a press conference at 10 a.m. April 24, in which Yang and Gao Yan, member of Shanghai Expo Organizing Committee and Deputy Director of CCPIT, introduced the latest Expo preparations and answer questions from the press.